Five fever-related deaths were reported in the State on Monday. One fever death was reported in Thiruvananthapuram, while another death due to H1N1 was reported in Thrissur.
Two suspected dengue deaths were reported from Thiruvananthapuram, that of a seven-year-old and an 18-year-old. A seven-month-old infant was also reported to have died of suspected dengue fever in Kozhikode.
Even as Health Minister K.K. Shylaja claimed that fever and related mortality was on its way down, thousands are continuing to pour into hospitals on a daily basis.
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On Monday, a total of 28,414 persons reported with fever at various government hospitals in the State. Among them, dengue fever was confirmed in 227 persons, while 678 are suspected to be having dengue.
Thiruvanthapuram reported 84 dengue cases, Kollam 59, Kozhikode 26, and 14 each from Thrissur and Kannur.
The State has recorded a total of 9,362 confirmed dengue cases this year so far and 17 confirmed dengue deaths. The number of probable dengue cases so far is 34,875. About 80 persons are also suspected to have died of dengue till date.
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Health Department officials said that with the monsoon intensifying across the State, the hike in fever cases was only to be expected.
Scores already infected
“Launching control activities in the peak of an epidemic is not likely to achieve any miracles, because the vector density continues to be high and scores of people are already infected, who will continue to present themselves with fever in the subsequent days. The situation is not likely to ease immediately,” a senior health official said.
She pointed out that the Central team which had assessed the fever situation in the State had pointed out that the actual dengue fatality this year was lower than the 2013 epidemic. However, a panic situation has now been created by media reports on fever deaths, with the result that people were coming back to hospitals twice and thrice in a row, apprehensive that their fever could be taking a turn for the worse, she added.
“Our records in many hospitals show that the number of review or repeat patients have gone up. People are also going from doctor to doctor and trying out all systems of medicines in total fear that they might die. This kind of fear is unwarranted. Very few people need hospitalisation but those with fever should listen to their doctor and take total rest at home for a week,” she said.
Health officials also point out that in all cleaning campaigns, the entire focus is on waste removal but that people need to be more concerned about the mosquitoes breeding within homes.
Aedes species breeds indoors and hence vector control activities within and outside individual houses are more effective in checking mosquito population.